Improved machine for tenoning spokes



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

II. M. PRESTON, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO AA H. BAKER, OF SAME PLACE.

lMPPtOVED MACHINE FOR TENONING SPOKES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 37,842. dated March 3, 1863.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, H. M. PRESTON, of St. Louis, in the county of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for Tenoning Spokes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon and made to form a part of this description.

I am well aware that many inventions have been essayed for the purpose of cutting or turning tenons upon the ends of spokes, adapted to fit and be driven into mortises in the fellies of wheels. These devices have been more or less successful, but have failed to accomplish the desired end, from the fact that the tenons formed by them, are round, and cannot be driven into the round mortises ot' the fellies in such a manner as to make a tight jcintfjor to hold the fellies rigidly and permanently in their proper places without incurringthedanger of splitting and spoiling the fellies; hence the tenons formed by means of the aforesaid devices have of necessity been formed somewhat smaller than the mortises they are intended to fit, thereby leaving the joints loose and the unfinished wheels consequently in bad condition for transportation.

The object of this invention is to accomplish the turning or cutting of oval or lattened tenons upon spokes instead of round ones, the longer diameter of which may be adapted to the longitudinal grain of the wood of the fellies, so that, while the shorter diameter of the tenon thus formed may be barely to that of the mortise, the longer, which will be on a line with the length of the felly, may slightly exceed that of the mortise, so that when the tenons formed bymeans of' my invention are driven into the mortises of the fellies, the joints thus formed will be permanently tight, and the fellies rigidly secured in their proper places without dangerof injuring the spokes of fellies; and the nature of my invention relates to the construction and operation of a cam upon a revolving cylinder, with reference to other working parts of the machine in such manner that the cutter may at proper times receive lateral motion, in combination with its rotary motion, by means ot' which the tenons ot" spokes may be formed of an oval or attened shape, as hereinafter set forth, specified, and represented.

In'reference to the accompanying drawiu gs, Figure l is a top view or plan of my invention, with all its parts arranged as for usc. Fig. 24 is a transverse sectional elevation, taken through the red line x looking toward the left-hand end of the machine, as shown in the drawings. Fig. 3 is avertical sectional view taken through the red line y y, looking toward the righthand end of the machine. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the machine, a portion of the cutter-carriage and driving apparatus being removed. Fig. 5 is an end view of the ordinary round tenen. Fig. 6 is an end view of the oval tenon formed by means of my invention.

A represents the frame which supports and upon which the cutter-carriage is arranged to operate. The said frame A will be coustructed of wood or suitable metal, in a strong and substantial manner, having cross-timbers A', upon which the shaft B and drivingpulleys will be arranged, suitable bearings being provided for the said shaft B.

C are rests attached permanently to the frame A, and provided with guides C', which are adapted to receive the spokes upon which tenons are to be formed.

D is the base or bed of the cutter-carriage, arranged upon the frame A in such manner that it may be allowed lateral horizontal motion with reference to said frame and to the tenon to be formed. The said bed D is held properly in its place by means of plates a and brackets a.

Dl (shown clearly in Figs. 1, 2, and 3) are standards, the lower ends of which are firmly secured to the bed D, and their upper ends braced and secured by means of the cap D".

E is a cylinder, the end or heads of which are constructed and arranged to rot-ate in suit- Y able bearings formed in standards D.

F is a cam, formed upon or attached to the cylinder E, as shown clearly in Fig. 2, in such manner with reference to the cutter b and other working parts of the machine, hereinafter described, that said cutter may at certain proper times or periods of its revolution receive horizontal lateral motion with reference to the tenon it may be forming, thereby forming the oval tenon before mentioned. Y

bis the cutter, attached to a shaft, which runs diagonally through the cylinder E, and is arranged to rotate in suitable adjustable bearings attached to the heads or ends of said cylinder. Said cutter receives rotary motion by means of pulley b, which is attached to the other end of the same shaft, as is fully shown in Fig. l.

c is a bar pivoted to cross-piece c of frame A, and provided with a rod, d, which takes into lever d. (Shown in Fig. 2.)

H is a semicircular clamp, formed to tit and be acted upon by the cam F, one end of which is rigidly secured to the bar '0, while the other end is secured by and allowed motion in bracket e. (Shown in Figs. l and 2.)

f is a crooked lever, pivoted to the piece f of the bed D and to the cross-bar g, which works in frame A, so that by working the long arm or handlef of leverf up and down the cutter carriage and. all the workin g parts thereunto attached will be made to reciprocate horizontally crosswise the frame A.

h is a coiled spring, attached to the cap D. of standards D', and to the handlef of lever f.

z' is a spring, attached to the frame A, provided with a catch, fi, and formed to extend inwardly to a point near the cylinder E, as shown fully in Figs. 2 and 3.

Yj (shown in Fig. 2) is a projection attached to the cylinder E, and is adapted to bear upon and depress the end i of spring t' at a certain period in the rotation of the cylinder E, thereby releasing the handlej' of leverffrom the Vcatch i', and allowing the cutter-carriage to slide backward, so that the cutter maybe free from the spoke, as hereinafter described.

The lever d (shown clearly in Figs. 2, 3, and 4) is pivoted to bracket le of frame A at k', and to the cross-bar g, so that when the handlef of leverfis depressed and secured by the catch i', the cutter-carriage being thereby drawn forward so as to bring the cutter into the proper position to act upon the spoke, the vibration given to the upper end of bar c, through the medium of cam F and cla-mp H, will cause the cutter-carriage to move slightly backward and forward by means of rod d, leverf, cross-bar g, and lever d.

The object of the spring l1, is t-o throw the .cutter-carriage back, so that the cutter may be free from the spoke when the operation of cutting the tenon has been accomplished.

The bearings of the cutter-shaft may be made adjustable, in order to adapt the cutter to the forming of tenons of different sizes.

.be free from the spoke.

Having thus described the construction of my invention, its operation may be briefly set forth as follows: Suitable belts bein g provided for and passed over the pulley Z and the pulley m of cylinder E, and also over pulleys n and b', the handle f of lever f being depressed and secured by catch fi of spring t', and the cutter in the position shown in Fig. l, ready to actA upon the spoke, the operatorv will place a spoke upon the guides C. The drivingpulley n will then be made to rotate, thereby causing the cylinder E to revolve slowly and the cutter b rapidly. As the cylinder revolves, carrying with it the cutter-shaft and cutterfb, the cam F is made to bear against the righthand end of clamp H, (looking at Fig. 2,) thereby drawing the upper end of bar cin the same direction, and thereby moving the cutter-carriage slightly toward the left through the medium of rod d, lever d', cross-piece g, and lever f. When the cutter has reached a position opposite that from which it started, and is ready to operate upon the under side of the spoke, the cam F will be in position to act upon the left-hand end of clamp, thereby moving the cutter-carriage toward the right, through the mediums before described; and at that period in the rotation of the cylinder E, when the cutter has traveled entirely around the spoke and has performed its work, theprojection j will come in contact with the'end i of lever i, thereby releasing the lever f from the catch i', when the spring h will throw the cutter-carriage backward, so that the cutter may Another spoke to be operated upon will then be adjusted upon the guides and the above-described operation repeated.

Having described the construction and operation sufciently to enable persons skilled in the art to make and use the same, what I claim as new of my own invention, and desire to secure by Letters. Patent, is

The employment of the cam F, arranged upon the cylinder E, or its equivalent in eiect, in such manner as to impart to the cutter a reciprocating motion, in combination with its ro- H. M. PRESTON.

In presence of- H. E. CLIFTON, HERRON BURKE. 

